Radical‐Induced Hydrosilylation Reactions for the Functionalization of Two‐Dimensional Hydride Terminated Silicon Nanosheets

Herein we present the functionalization of freestanding silicon nanosheets (SiNSs) by radical‐induced hydrosilylation reactions. An efficient hydrosilylation of Si?H terminated SiNSs can be achieved by thermal initiation or the addition of diazonium salts with a variety of alkene or alkyne derivatives. The radical‐induced hydrosilylation is applicable for a wide variety of substrates with different functionalities, improving the stability and dispersibility of the functional SiNSs in organic solvents and potentially opening up new fields of application for these hybrid materials.     

Functionalization of Hydride‐Terminated Photoluminescent Silicon Nanocrystals with Organolithium Reagents

Hydride‐terminated photoluminescent silicon nanocrystals (SiNCs) were functionalized with organolithium compounds. The reaction is proposed to proceed through cleavage of Si?Si bonds and formation of a Si?Li surface species. The method yields colloidally stabilized SiNCs at room temperature with short reaction times. SiNCs with mixed surface functionalities can be prepared in an easy two‐step reaction by this method by quenching of the Si?Li group with electrophiles or by addressing free Si?H groups on the surface with a hydrosilylation reaction.     

Copper‐Promoted Sandmeyer Difluoromethylthiolation of Aryl and Heteroaryl Diazonium Salts

An efficient copper‐promoted difluoromethylthiolation of aryl and heteroaryl diazonium salts is described. The reaction is conducted under mild reaction conditions and various functional groups were compatible. In addition, reactions of heteroaryl diazonium salts such as pyridyl, quinolinyl, benzothiazolyl, thiophenyl, carbazolyl, and pyrazolyl diazonium salts occurred smoothly to afford the medicinally important difluoromethylthiolated heteroarenes. Furthermore, a more practical one‐pot direct diazotization and difluoromethylthiolation protocol was developed, and it converts the aniline derivatives into difluoromethylthiolated arenes. The utility of the method is demonstrated by difluoromethylthiolation of a number of natural products and drug molecules.     

Controlled Zn‐Mediated Grafting of Thin Layers of Bipodal Diazonium Salt on Gold and Carbon Substrates

A controlled, rapid, and potentiostat‐free method has been developed for grafting the diazonium salt (3,5‐bis(4‐diazophenoxy)benzoic acid tetrafluoroborate (DCOOH)) on gold and carbon substrates, based on a Zn‐mediated chemical dediazonation. The highly stable thin layer organic platforms obtained were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, AFM, impedance, XP, and Raman spectroscopies. A dediazonation mechanism based on radical formation is proposed. Finally, DCOOH was proved as a linker to an aminated electroactive probe.     

Hydrosilylation in Aryliminopyrrolide‐Substituted Silanes

A range of silanes was synthesized by the reaction of HSiCl₃ with iminopyrrole derivatives in the presence of NEt₃. In certain cases, intramolecular hydrosilylation converts the imine ligand into an amino substituent. This reaction is inhibited by factors such as electron‐donating substitution on Si and steric bulk. The monosubstituted (^DippIMP)SiHMeCl (^DippIMP=2‐[N‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)iminomethyl]pyrrolide), is stable towards hydrosilylation, but slow hydrosilylation is observed for (^DippIMP)SiHCl₂. Reaction of two equivalents of ^DippIMPH with HSiCl₃ results in the hydrosilylation product (^DippAMP)(^DippIMP)SiCl (^DippAMP=2‐[N‐(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)aminomethylene]pyrrolide), but the trisubsitituted (^DippIMP)₃SiH is stable. Monitoring the hydrosilylation reaction of (^DippIMP)SiHCl₂ reveals a reactive pathway involving ligand redistribution reactions to form the disubstituted (^DippAMP)(^DippIMP)SiCl as an intermediate. The reaction is strongly accelerated in the presence of chloride anions.     

Construction of a Chiral Silicon Center by Rhodium‐Catalyzed Enantioselective Intramolecular Hydrosilylation

Rhodium‐catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrizing intramolecular hydrosilylation of symmetrically disubstituted hydrosilanes is described. The original axially chiral phenanthroline ligand (S)‐BinThro (Binol‐derived phenanthroline) was found to work as an effective chiral catalyst for this transformation. A chiral silicon stereogenic center is one of the chiral motifs gaining much attention in asymmetric syntheses and the present protocol provides cyclic five‐membered organosilanes incorporating chiral silicon centers with high enantioselectivities (up to 91 % ee). The putative active Rh^I catalyst takes the form of an N,N,O‐tridentate coordination complex, as determined by several complementary experiments.     

Silicon Nanocrystals and Silicon‐Polymer Hybrids: Synthesis,Surface Engineering,and Applications

Silicon nanocrystals (Si‐NCs) are emerging as an attractive class of quantum dots owing to the natural abundance of silicon in the Earth's crust, their low toxicity compared to many Group II–VI and III–V based quantum dots, compatibility with the existing semiconductor industry infrastructure, and their unique optoelectronic properties. Despite these favorable qualities, Si‐NCs have not received the same attention as Group II–VI and III–V quantum dots, because of their lower emission quantum yields, difficulties associated with synthesizing monodisperse particles, and oxidative instability. Recent advancements indicate the surface chemistry of Si‐NCs plays a key role in determining many of their properties. This Review summarizes new reports related to engineering Si‐NC surfaces, synthesis of Si‐NC/polymer hybrids, and their applications in sensing, diodes, catalysis, and batteries.     

A Hydrosilylation Approach to Silicon‐Bridged Functional Dipyrromethanes: Introducing Silicon to A New Arena

Two silylene‐spaced ((E)‐vinylsilyl)anthracene‐dipyrromethane dyads have been designed and synthesized by RhCl(PPh₃)₃‐catalyzed hydrosilylation reactions of 5‐methyl‐5′‐(ethynylaryl)dipyrromethanes with (9‐Anthryl)‐dimethylsilane. The complexation studies of dyads toward different anions have also been performed, which reveal that dyads exhibit a highly selective response towards fluoride anion attributable to both hydrogen‐bonding and pentacoordination phenomena. This dual‐mode fluoride recognition event is unprecedented and may pave the way for future developments in the areas of porphyrinoids, organosilicon, polymer, and supramolecular chemistry.     

Preferential Formation of SiOC over SiC Linkage upon Thermal Grafting on Hydrogen‐Terminated Silicon (111)

In a stringent and near oxygen‐free environment, Si?H surfaces were introduced to a trifluoroalkyne, an alcohol‐derivatized alkyne, as well as an equal mixture of both alkynes at a temperature of 130 °C. Contact angle measurements, high‐resolution X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and angle‐resolved XPS were performed to examine the system. Si?H surfaces were found to have a strong preference towards the formation of Si?O?C rather than Si?C bonds when the alcohol and alkyne reactivities were compared.     

Room‐Temperature,Ligand‐ and Base‐Free Heck Reactions of Aryl Diazonium Salts at Low Palladium Loading: Sustainable Preparation of Substituted Stilbene Derivatives

The Pd(OAc)₂‐catalyzed Heck reaction of aryl diazonium salts with 2‐arylacrylates led to cis‐stilbenes with good to excellent stereoselectivity. The environmentally friendly protocol developed in this work features low palladium loading in technical‐grade methanol at room temperature under base‐, additive‐, and ligand‐free conditions. The same protocol applied to simple Heck coupling of aryl diazonium salts with methyl acrylate allows astonishingly low palladium loading, down to 0.005 mol %. The stereoselectivity experimentally observed for the synthesis of cis‐stilbenes has been rationalized by DFT calculations. Moreover, the role of methanol in promoting the reaction has been clarified by a computational study.     

Highly Efficient and Chemoselective Zinc‐Catalyzed Hydrosilylation of Esters under Mild Conditions

A mild and highly efficient catalytic hydrosilylation protocol for room‐temperature ester reductions has been developed using diethylzinc as the catalyst. The methodology is operationally simple, displays high functional group tolerance and provides for a facile access to a broad range of different alcohols in excellent yields.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Silicon‐Stereogenic Vinylhydrosilanes by Cobalt‐Catalyzed Regio‐ and Enantioselective Alkyne Hydrosilylation with Dihydrosilanes

The strategic carbon‐to‐silicon substitution at a stereogenic center can produce chiral silanes with significantly improved properties relative to their carbon congeners. We herein report an unprecedented cobalt‐catalyzed asymmetric hydrosilylation of unsymmetric alkynes with dihydrosilanes that furnishes silicon‐stereogenic vinylhydrosilanes with high regio‐ and enantioselectivity. The absolute configurations of the products were determined by chiroptical methods in combination with DFT calculations. The synthetic versatility of the vinylhydrosilanes as chiral building blocks was further demonstrated by asymmetric Si?H insertion and catalytic hydroboration reactions.     

Base‐Catalyzed Hydrosilylation of Ketones and Esters and Insight into the Mechanism

Simple bases (KOtBu, KOH) catalyze the silane‐promoted reduction of ketones and esters to alcohols and of aldimines to amines. The inexpensive silane PMHS (polymethylhydrosiloxane) can be used as the reducing reagent. Double and triple bonds, as well as nitro‐ and cyano‐groups are tolerated. Careful dosing of the silane allows for chemoselective reduction of a more reactive group in the presence of a less reactive group (for example, aldehyde reduction in the presence of ketone/ketone reduction in the presence of ester group). Mechanistic studies showed that addition of base to silanes leads to silicate species, which are the acting reducing agents. Under basic conditions, hydrosiloxanes (tetramethyldisiloxane, TMDS; PMHS) convert into simple silanes (H₂SiMe₂, H₃SiMe), making this a practical method to generate these challenging silanes.     

Silica-Supported MnII Sites as Efficient Catalysts for Carbonyl Hydroboration,Hydrosilylation, and Transesterification

Manganese, the third most abundant transition-metal element after iron and titanium, has recently been demonstrated to be an effective homogeneous catalyst in numerous reactions. Herein, the preparation of silica-supported Mn^II sites is reported using Surface Organometallic Chemistry (SOMC), combined with tailored thermolytic molecular precursors approach based on Mn₂[OSi(OtBu)₃]₄ and Mn{N(SiMe₃)₂}₂⋅THF. These supported Mn^II sites, free of organic ligands, efficiently catalyze numerous reactions: hydroboration and hydrosilylation of ketones and aldehydes as well as the transesterification of industrially relevant substrates.     

Investigation of N‐Heterocyclic Carbene‐Supported Group 12 Triflates as Pre‐catalysts for Hydrosilylation/Borylation

N‐Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complexes of Cd and Hg triflates (OTf) were prepared and their attempted conversion into rare cadmium and mercury hydrides was explored. In contrast to zinc, which forms stable [ZnH]⁺ complexes with NHCs, the heavier Cd and Hg congeners could not be formed; the increased instability of Cd‐H and Hg‐H units was rationalized with the aid of computations. It was also discovered that the dimeric adduct [IPr?Cd(μ‐OTf)₂]₂ (IPr=[(HCNDipp)₂C:]; Dipp=2,6‐iPr₂C₆H₃) is an active precatalyst for the hydrosilylation and hydroborylation of hindered aldehydes and ketones. The related zinc congener was inactive as a catalyst highlighting a distinct advantage of using heavy Group 12 metals to promote catalytic hydrosilylation/borylation.